Keno in Macau

The only keno I found in Macau, when I was there in August 2007, was at the Lisboa. It can be found in the shopping area in the "Old Lisboa", where the prostitutes walk around.

The game play is the same as in the U.S., where 20 balls are drawn randomly out of 80. There are two types of games. The first is the conventional way, where the player picks 4 to 15 numbers, and is paid according to the number he catches.

Lisboa Conventional Keno Pay-Table

Catch

Pick

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

3

5

2

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

4

100

20

5

2

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

5

0

500

70

18

8

3

2

1

1

0

0

0

6

0

0

2000

200

50

20

10

8

3

3

2

1

7

0

0

0

7500

1200

200

80

40

25

15

8

4

8

0

0

0

0

18000

4000

1000

400

150

75

30

20

9

0

0

0

0

0

20000

18000

6400

1200

500

200

100

10

0

0

0

0

0

0

22000

20000

18000

5000

2500

1000

11

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

24000

22000

20000

15000

10000

12

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

26000

24000

22000

18000

13

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

28000

26000

24000

14

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

30000

28000

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

30000

The next game shows the hit frequency and return according to the number of picks. The best bet is on the pick-11 at 74.77%.

Lisboa Keno

Pick

Hit Freq.

Return

4

25.89%

73.52%

5

9.67%

73.22%

6

16.16%

74.72%

7

6.16%

58.93%

8

10.23%

61.70%

9

15.31%

58.95%

10

6.47%

59.46%

11

9.83%

74.77%

12

13.97%

74.06%

13

6.23%

74.07%

14

9.05%

74.73%

15

12.50%

76.69%

In addition to the standard type of keno offered in the U.S., the player player may play High/Low/Middle. High is defined as the majority of the 20 balls drawn falling between 41 and 80, Low is the majority falling between 1 and 40, and Middle is a 10/10 split between the High and Low numbers.

The player indicates an exact sequence of High, Low, or Middle for one to three games. The following table shows all the various bets, what they pay, the probability of winning, and the return. Pays are on a "for one" basis, in other words, the player never gets his original bet back.

Return Table for High/Low/Middle

Game 1

Game 2

Game 3

Pays

Probability

Return

High or Low

2

39.84%

79.68%

Middle

4

20.32%

81.3%

High or Low

High or Low

4

15.87%

63.48%

High or Low

Middle

8

8.1%

64.77%

Middle

High or Low

8

8.1%

64.77%

Middle

Middle

Middle

16

4.13%

66.09%

High or Low

High or Low

High or Low

8

6.32%

50.58%

High or Low

High or Low

Middle

16

3.23%

51.61%

High or Low

Middle

High or Low

16

3.23%

51.61%

High or Low

Middle

Middle

32

1.65%

52.66%

Middle

High or Low

High or Low

16

3.23%

51.61%

Middle

High or Low

Middle

32

1.65%

52.66%

Middle

Middle

High or Low

32

1.65%

52.66%

Middle

Middle

Middle

64

0.84%

53.73%

For more information on keno, please visit my companion site, Wizard of Odds.